A temporary fix is in place after a major water leak at Palmerston North's Turitea treatment plant late last night.
The Palmerston North District Council is asking residents to only use water for cooking, drinking and hygiene purposes.
The notice excludes residents in the villages of Ashhurst, Longburn, Linton and Bunnythorpe, who have separate bore supplies which are not connected to the city pipe network.
A leak in the main water pipe was discovered around 10pm last night and "urgent repairs are underway", the council said on its website.
"The affected pipe runs from our treatment plant in Turitea and supplies two-thirds of the city's water. We have bores supplying the city's water this morning, but they cannot supply the same amount of water as our dam can – which is why we need you all to save water."
The council told 1News it had been upgrading a portion of the pipe this week and that the leak is close to that point.
It said on its website while "all water remains safe to drink and use", residents are being asked to reduce their usage while repairs are being carried out.
This afternoon it was announced a temporary fix is in place but residents should continue to conserve water while a permanent repair is scheduled.
"While a temporary repair is in place, we need the city to keep conserving water so the reservoir can refill. That is expected to be complete early tomorrow," the council said.
It also warned some people may notice their water is discoloured and to report it to the councils call centre if this is the case.
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